


Three Words

by slightly_salty_ace



Series: Morally Gray [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alien Invasion, Angst, Enemies to Friends, Everyone survived infinity war because I am in denial, Fluff, Humor, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Wade, Hurt/Comfort, Mission Fic, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is doing his best, Peter is 25, Team Up, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Wade Wilson Likes Peter Parker's Butt, Wade is 30, takes place ten years after Homecoming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 04:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11912796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightly_salty_ace/pseuds/slightly_salty_ace
Summary: Spider-man was angry. Scratch that. He was pissed. For the third time this week he had been cock blocked. Although, this time it wasn't by a teammate. It was a goddamn alien. Fantastic."Okay...so, that happened," Deadpool commented, folding his arms over his chest. An alien had fallen from the sky, crashing onto a car that the two Avengers had been standing next to.-Poor Spidey has been trying to confess his love to Deadpool all week. But things just keep getting in the way. One of those things being an alien invasion. And now Spider-man has to team up with his worst enemies in order to save the world. This week has definitely been a wild ride, and it's far from over.





	Three Words

**Monday**

Spider-man hung upside down in the common area in the Avenger's compound, staring out the large windows that overlooked the lawn. A few SHIELD agents were jogging across the grass. The person leading them was shouting something, but Spidey was too far away to make out exactly what. The wall crawler started to zone out, lost in his own thoughts.

"You know, I bought chairs for a reason. You should try sitting in them sometimes."

Peter jolted at the sudden voice, nearly losing his grip on the web strand. "Don't sneak up on me!" He swiveled around to face Tony Stark. The older man was leaning against the breakfast bar, arms crossed over his chest.

"I didn't sneak up on you. I've been trying to get your attention all morning."

"You have?" Peter blinked, the lenses of his mask widening ever so slightly.

"Yeah. You've been hanging upside down for a good hour or two. What are you doing, anyway?" Tony tilted head.

"I think better when I'm upside down," Peter explained, allowing himself to drop onto the ground. He landed gracefully, his feet barely making a sound on the carpet. "Whoa..." He swayed, the blood rushing out of his head.

Tony chuckled, "a lot on your mind, I'm guessing. Want to talk about it?" Peter had lost everything when Thanos attacked nine years ago, so Tony had taken him in, treating him like the son he never had. Over the next decade, the two became extremely close friends. Peter went to Tony with his troubles more often than not, and Tony would listen, offering advice where he could. Tony didn't often come to Peter with his own problems. Usually, the engineer went to Steve or Bruce. But Peter was always there for him whenever Tony's PTSD got the better of him.

"Not really."

Tony's eyebrows shot up at that, clearly worried. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I think I know what I need to do now," Peter smiled, even though Tony couldn't see it.

"That's what I like to hear. I'll be in the lab if you need me," Tony walked away. Peter waited until he couldn't hear his mentor's footsteps anymore before crawling across the ceiling.

"Peter, your heart rate is elevated," Karen said. "Are you in need of medical attention?"

"No, no, I'm just nervous. Go into sleep mode, Karen, I don't think I'll be needing your help for awhile," Peter commanded.

"Very well, good night, Peter." Karen shut herself off. The current Spider-man suit lacked all the features of the first one Tony had given him. Except for Karen. Peter liked having someone to talk to when he was on patrol, so he kept the AI around. She also came in handy when he was bleeding out behind a dumpster. Which happened more often than Peter cared to admit. Spider-man glanced at his reflection when he passed by another window. The look of the suit hadn't changed much over the years. The spider on his chest was a bit bigger. The webbing a bit bolder. The blues a bit darker. Those were the only major changes to the design. People had suggested variations on the design. Such as Clint suggesting he switch the blue for black so that it matched the webbing. Or Tony wanting to make the white lenses all black. Natasha had even drawn up a picture of an all black Spider-man costume with a large white spider on the chest. There were, of course, countless other suggestions by other members of the team. Peter turned down all of them. What was it with the Avengers and the color black? He liked his red and blues. Simple as that.

"Hey, Spidey!" Deadpool's voice yanked him out of his thoughts. The merc was the newest member of the team, having just moved into the compound last month. He stood below Spider-man, waving cheerfully.

"Wade!" Spider-man dropped down. "You're just the person I wanted to see!"

"Really? Am I in trouble? Not gonna web me to a ceiling fan again, are you?" Deadpool smiled at the smaller man. He had only know Spidey for two years. But butterflies still fluttered in his stomach each time he looked at Spider-man. There was just something about the wise cracking wall crawler that made life worth living.

"Nah. This time I'm going to launch you out the window at maximum velocity," Peter squinted his eye pieces. "I'm kidding," he said quickly when Deadpool visibly wilted. "I just wanted to talk. Walk with me," he strode off down the hall, Deadpool falling into step beside him.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Spidey?"

"Peter."

"What?" Deadpool stopped in his tracks.

"My name. It's Peter." Peter took off his mask and gave Deadpool a bright smile.

Deadpool's mouth fell open. "Y-you...oh my god...you're beautiful."

Peter's face heated up and he quickly averted his gaze. Peter took a deep breath, trying to gather up his courage for what he wanted to say next. Should he say it? It was just three simple words. Three simple words with a lot of weight. Was now even the right time to say it? In some random hallway at the Avengers facility? It wasn't exactly romantic. Fuck it. Now or never. "Wade, I-"

"What the fuck?" Both men jumped at the new voice. Clint was marching over to them, steam practically coming out of his ears. "Why the hell did you take your mask off?!"

"I-I wanted Wade to know who I was, I trust him-"

Clint shook his head. "It took three years for you to trust the rest of us," He pointed out.

"Someone's jealous," Wade teased, looping an arm around Spidey's shoulders.

"I am not. He's been here a month, Peter. A _month_." Clint reasoned. "What's the point of a secret identity if you keep giving it away?"

"I think my teammates have a right to know who I am," Peter slipped away from Deadpool. "I think I hear Tony calling my name."

"I don't hear anything-"

"Super hearing!" Peter lied, "gotta go!" He ran off before either man could protest. He'd have to confess his feelings later.

* * *

**Tuesday**

  
"Hey, Petey pie!" Wade threw his arms around the wall crawler. "What's all this about?" Spider-man had brought Deadpool up to the roof of the main building at the Avengers facility. "Ooooh, are we having a picnic?" He pointed at the blanket that had been laid out. A basket was sitting in the middle of it.

"Yeah, I thought it would be fun," Peter said a bit nervously. It was a beautiful day, the skies were clear and the air was pleasantly warm. The two men took a seat on the blanket, sitting so close that their legs were practically touching. Peter started taking food out of the basket, "um, I don't know know what you like on your sandwiches, so I just packed a bunch of different stuff."

"You're such a cutey," Deadpool smiled, his mask crinkling. Peter was glad he still wore his mask, not wanting Deadpool to see how badly he was blushing.

"Am not."

"Are too," Deadpool poked his cheek.

The two men ended up chatting for hours, long after they had finished their meal. Eventually, Peter found himself lying flat on his back, with Deadpool's head resting on his stomach. The merc was ranting about unicorns, while Peter just nodded along, tracing the seams on Deadpool's mask with a gloved finger. Peter's own mask had been discarded awhile ago. Peter was waiting for the right moment to confess to Deadpool, but that moment hadn't come up in the conversation. Yet.

"Wade?" Peter whispered when Deadpool paused in his rant.

"That's what they call me," Wade looked over at him. His mask was rolled up to his nose, a smile in full view.

"I-"

"Spider-man, are you up here? Oh!" Both men bolted upright. Steve Rogers stood in the doorway, a surprised look on his face. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

 _Yes_. Spider-man thought bitterly, but said, "no. Did you need something, Cap?"

"Bruce needs your help with something. He's been looking for you all afternoon," Steve reported.

"Oh. Crap. Sorry, where is he?"

"His lab," Steve said, "um, take your time. I'll let him know you're on your way." He eyed Deadpool before heading back down the stairwell.

Peter glanced back over at his crush. "Sorry, Wade, I-"

"It's cool. I had fun. We should have more picnics in the future," Wade left before Peter could say anything.

* * *

**Wednesday**

Spider-man was angry. Scratch that. He was pissed. For the third time this week he had been cock blocked. Although, this time it wasn't by a teammate. It was a goddamn alien. Fantastic.

"Okay...so, that happened," Deadpool commented, folding his arms over his chest. An alien had fallen from the sky, crashing onto a car that the two Avengers had been standing next to. The top of the cab was completely caved in under the weight of the strange gray creature. A sickly green liquid seeped out of the creature's wounds. The alien's jaw was slack, more of the green liquid dripping from its mouth. Spider-man crept forward, studying the corpse. "So...aliens. Alien. Huh."

Spidey just nodded, brushing gloved finger tips over the creature's arm. Its skin was thick and leathery. It reminded him of the fancy couches at the Avengers tower. The ones that felt too expensive to sit on. The earth was, of course, aware of extra terrestrials. They had been aware of them ever since the Chitauri invaded almost two decades ago. And then again when Thanos arrived nine years ago. But there hadn't been any alien visitors since then. Unless you count the Guardians of the Galaxy, who stopped by every once in awhile.

"Is it Chitauri?" Deadpool moved closer to the creature as well.

"I don't know. Doesn't look like it."

"Is it dead?"

Spider-man nodded, poking at the creature's head. "We should probably tell the Avengers about this."

* * *

**Thursday**

Two Am. And the world was ending. Well, more like New York. But to Spider-man, New York was his world. After he and Deadpool had reported the alien to the Avengers, a few more of the gray creatures had been spotted. These ones were very much alive. And very angry. In less than twenty-four hours thousands upon thousands of them had appeared all over New York, wrecking havoc on the city. For whatever reason, they had retreated when the sun set. Spider-man hurried up the side of Avengers tower and slipped in through an open window. Spidey had been fighting nonstop since the first attack twelve hours ago. Once the aliens had retreated, he stuck around to do what he could to help the injured. He was only pulling away now because Tony had called him back to the tower.

"There you are! Thank god you're alright!" Deadpool let out a sigh of relief after the wall crawler had nearly run into him.

"Same to you," Spider-man nodded once. "Where's Tony?"

"Conference room. C'mon, you and I are being assigned to a new team." Deadpool led the way.

"New team?" Spider-man blinked. The Avengers had grown to be a quite large organization over the last few years, with a few different divisions spread out across the country. Spider-man and Deadpool belonged to the core group that was based in New York. "They're relocating us? Now? In the middle of an alien invasion?"

"Not...exactly..." Deadpool spoke slowly, "The Captain wants to prepare for the worst. So he called in some new guys, and well...you'll see for yourself in a minute." He paused outside the conference room. "Try not to strangle anyone, okay?"

Spider-man was a bit taken aback by that statement. "Who are they?"

Deadpool was silent for a long moment. Instead of answering he opened the door. Steve and Tony looked up as the two walked in. They sat at the conference table. Six other men sat around them. The Sinister Six, to be precise. The Vulture, Doc Ock, Kraven, Sandman, Mysterio, and Electro. All of them glared at Spider-man as if he were Satan incarnate. 

"Oh, fuck me in the ass..." Peter said under his breath. He shook himself. It was two in the morning. He was exhausted. This had to be a hallucination. This couldn't be his team. Could it?

"You didn't tell us Spider-man would be our leader," Otto Octavius hissed.

"You might not have agreed to our terms if we did," Steve explained.

"What is this?!" Spider-man hissed, "why are they here? What did you promise them, Cap?!"

"SHIELD is going to give them all a clean slate in exchange for their assistance." Tony stood up. He didn't look bothered by the criminals sitting around him, but Peter knew him well enough to tell he was uncomfortable. "The entirety of the Avengers and the X-men are in this fight now. And it's still not enough. God knows what tomorrow will bring. We have no other option."

"The Guardians of the Galaxy. Where are they?" Spider-man narrowed his eye pieces.

"We haven't been able to contact them. I suggest you and Deadpool both get some rest. I want you two to be ready-"

"I'm not working with these people," Spider-man clenched his fists.

"You don't get a say in this, Spider-man." Steve was using his army voice. Spider-man was going to lead this team, whether he wanted to or not. "Be ready to move out in six hours. You'll take these men to Queens and await further orders. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Spider-man said through gritted teeth.

* * *

Six hours later, Spider-man found himself on a rooftop in Queens. The sun hadn't yet risen, but faint pink rays had begun to illuminate the gray clouds. White smoke billowed up from the destroyed buildings that dotted the city. The last of the fires had finally been put out about an hour ago. Other than the occasional siren, or car honk, the city was silent. Nothing like the mass chaos that had taken place yesterday. There had been so much noise. So much screaming. Crying. Gunshots. Sirens. Peter had almost passed out at one point, the sound being too much for his heightened senses.

The Vulture was next to Spider-man, standing closer than he allowed any other member of the Sinister Six to get. Toomes was the only one out of them that Spidey really trusted. Sure, Toomes was a founding member of the Sinister Six, but he never meant Spider-man any true harm. He had just wanted to get even. Make Spider-man sorry for tearing apart his family. And Spider-man understood his feelings. Hell, he still felt guilty about destroying Liz's family.  Spider-man was fairly confident that Toomes would put his grudge behind him long enough to finish the mission. Toomes was after all, arguably the most level headed of the six.

"I just want to see my daughter again. As soon SHIELD wipes my records, I'm hanging up my wings." Toomes said. "I don't know if she'll want to see me or not. But I want to be someone she can be proud of."

Spider-man remained silent, not sure what to say to that. The communicator in his ear crackled, and Deadpool's voice spoke, "okay. We're all on the same frequency now. Sure you don't want me to connect us to the rest of the Avengers? Or at least Iron Man and Cap?"

Spider-man looked over his shoulder. Deadpool and the rest of the Sinister Six were spread out around the rooftop, all looking at him expectantly. "No. It'll just be a distraction." Deadpool nodded and packed up the equipment, shoving it into a corner of the roof.

"Hey, Spidey?"

"Hm?" Spider-man stepped away from the edge, moving towards the former merc.

"You said yesterday that there was something important you wanted to tell me?" Deadpool said, "what was it? Might as well say it now before shit hits the fan."

 _I love you._ Spider-man said in his head. _I love you more than air itself and I'm afraid that I might not make it through today and that we'll never be together._ He kept his mouth shut and shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"What's the plan, kid?" Toomes said, his gigantic metal wings unfurling. "We just gonna attack these things head on?"

"Depends on how many show up. We might have to work in pairs," Spider-man said as the team gathered around him.

"Looks like a lot to me..." Kraven commented, pointing at the horizon. Hundreds upon thousands of aliens had risen up on gliders, making their way towards the city at an alarming rate.

"Shit. Okay, guys. Here's the plan..."

* * *

Deadpool rolled over on his side, ignoring the sharp pain in his leg. Well, what was left of his leg. It was slowly but surely regrowing. It would take a good hour before it was completely back in working order. "Shit, shit, guys, I'm grounded." He said into the comms. "Kinda out in the open here. Can someone help a merc out?" He drug himself across the broken road, leaving a streak of blood in his wake.

"I see you. On my way!" Spider-man responded almost instantly. Deadpool looked around wildly. He couldn't see the wall crawler anywhere. Just a lot of smoke and panicked civilians. A sharp cry of pain cut over the comms.

"Spider-man! What happened? Are you alright?!" Toomes called.

The pause was brief. But the seconds tore at Deadpool's heart. _Answer. Please answer, Peter..._

"I'm fine," Spider-man finally spoke. He landed gracefully a few feet from Deadpool. Blood seeped from the claw marks on Spider-man's thigh. The masked Avenger slipped his hands under Deadpool and carried him bridal style to an alley on the other side of the street. He set him down behind a dumpster and inspected Deadpool's leg. Deadpool was a little shocked at just how worried Spider-man looked, considering the mask.

"It's already growing back," Deadpool assured him. "Your leg-"

"I've had worse. Stay here." Spider-man said firmly.

"I'll try not to run off anywhere," Deadpool giggled. He stilled when Spider-man cupped his face with one hand.

"Don't be so reckless next time, Wade," Spider-man whispered. "You could have avoided that bomb."

"I...okay..." Deadpool leaned against the brick wall in defeat. "You be careful, too." He pointed at the lacerations on his teammate's leg, "don't be trying to match my injuries."

"No promises," Spider-man chuckled before web slinging off.

* * *

The team ambled around an abandoned convenience store, no one really speaking. They were all too exhausted. The sun had set, and the beasts had retreated once again. Avengers Tower had fallen during the attack, so the team was left without a base to return to. Spider-man decided they should hole up in the convenience store, seeing as how it had food and medical supplies. 

"Thank god those things have a curfew," Vulture commented, letting himself collapse on the floor. 

"It must have something to do with the light. Their eyes must not be as developed as ours," Otto said. "It would explain their need to start fires everywhere they go. More light." Toomes nodded in agreement.

Deadpool slipped behind the checkout counter, breaking open the alcohol cabinet. "Spidey, c'mere." He set a bottle of booze on the counter, along with a first aid kit.

"No," the web slinger groaned, refusing to get up from the web hammock he had made in the corner. He had his injured leg slung over the edge. Webbing had been used as a make shift bandage, but the blood had soaked through it and was now dripping down his ankle.

"Spider-man. I'm not shitting around. Come. here." Deadpool snapped. "Don't make me say your real name."

Spider-man bolted upright, "you wouldn't dare!"

The Sinister Six exchanged glances before looking over at Deadpool. He knew who Spider-man was. Otto was already thinking about all the ways he could use that information to his advantage. Toomes rolled his eyes and went off to find the bathroom. Peter's identity was nothing new to him. And he had already made his mind up about leaving the Sinister Six.

Deadpool shrugged, "that wound needs to be patched up. Get over here." Spider-man huffed, but drug himself over to Deadpool anyway, sitting up on the counter and letting the merc do what needed to be done. He hissed when Deadpool poured alcohol into the cuts. "Sorry, almost done." Kraven retrieved a spool of thread and a needle from one of the aisles and watched while Deadpool stitched up the cuts.

"Those things have claws like tigers," Kraven commented. "But their hides are like those of rhinos. My blades could not pierce them."

"Did anyone else get acid spit at them or was that just me?" Sandman commented, retreating into a pile of sand on the floor, too tired to retain his human form.

"I think we all did," Spider-man sighed, wincing when Deadpool poured more alcohol on his wound. The communicator in his ear crackled. Someone had switched it on remotely. "Hello?" Spidey put two fingers to his ears. "Hey, Tony. Yeah, we're all alive. How are things in Manhattan?" A long pause. "I understand. I'll be right there."

"Hey, I'm not done!" Deadpool reminded him. Spider-man waited until Deadpool had finished before getting up to leave.

"I'll be back soon. Try not to kill each other."

Deadpool grabbed him by the arm, "wait."

Spider-man looked up at him, tilting his head slightly.

"Um..." Deadpool opened and closed his mouth a few times, the words he wanted to say not coming out. "Come back to me in one piece, okay? I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"I will," Spider-man smiled behind his mask.

"Promise me." Deadpool tightened his grip on Peter's arm.

"I promise."

* * *

Kraven eyed the Avenger as slumped against the checkout counter, water bottle in hand.

"What is your relation with the spider?" The hunter asked.

Deadpool nearly choked on his water. "W-what do you mean?"

"You are close. How close?" Kraven pressed.

Deadpool frowned, "that's none of your business."

"So you're dating. Cute." Sandman commented, a sly smile on his face.

"We are not!" Deadpool said a bit too loudly. He took a deep breath before speaking again, this time softer, "we are not. I mean, I wish we were. That would be pretty cool. Dating Spider-man." He looked down at the bottle in his hands, allowing a smile to spread across his face. He had had feelings for the wall crawler for a very, very long time. Deadpool did his best to express it without using words, but Spidey didn't seem to reciprocate his feelings. And at this point, Deadpool didn't want to risk their friendship by asking him out and getting turned down. "I do like him," Deadpool admitted out loud. "But I don't think he likes me back."

"You won't know until you tell him how you feel," Sandman pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure he's straight. So...yeah." Deadpool shrugged.

"Spider-man? Straight? With that costume?" Toomes snickered, "nah."

"Tell the bug how you feel," Kraven spoke again. "It isn't healthy to bottle up those types of feelings."

Otto groaned loudly from the other side of the room, "pick another topic."

Deadpool frowned, "what for? We're having a heart to heart over here, Octopussy. You do have a heart, don't you? Anyone, you have a crush on?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Of course I have a heart, you twat. All living creatures do." Otto stomped over to the counter and swiped a water bottle from the bundle. "We're grown men on a mission. Not teenage girls at a sleepover. Now is not the time to talk about our feelings."

"Someone's bitter," Mysterio commented.

"I am not bitter," Otto turned his back to them.

"Salty," Deadpool snickered.

"Where is that damn arachnid? He's been gone for hours," Otto muttered as he went back to pacing the store. His extra limbs moved silently around him, drifting along as if under water.

"I don't know if you noticed, but we're in the middle of an alien invasion," Toomes said. "And he had to go all the way to Manhattan."

"And I don't know if you noticed," Otto stopped in front of the large glass windows at the front of the store, putting his hands on his hips. "But those bastards retreated for the night. He should have a clear path."

"We should all try and get some sleep, the bug will be back in the morning," Kraven suggested.

"I'll take first watch," Mysterio announced.

* * *

**FRIDAY**

Deadpool woke up to a pleasant warmth pressed against his side. The warmth, most likely a person, shifted closer to him. Deadpool opened his eyes to find Spider-man curled beside him, his back pressed against Deadpool's arm. The wall crawler was fast asleep, his side rising and falling with deep, steady, breaths. Deadpool carefully slipped his arms around the sleeping man, pulling him to his chest. Spider-man made a soft noise of protest. Deadpool froze, afraid he had woken him. But Spider-man remained still. Deadpool put his head against the back of Spidey's neck, closing his eyes, and simply enjoying the feeling of holding Peter in his arms. 

"Break it up, love birds. Sun's coming up," Otto nudged Deadpool with his boot.

"Fuck off, Octavius," Spider-man groaned, pushing himself into a sitting position. Maybe Wade had woken him up after all? 

"Wow. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Deadpool teased.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Spider-man pretended to sound offended. Just then something crashed through the ceiling. Spider-man yelped and jumped onto the wall. After a few moments, the dust settled, revealing the intrusion to be an alien. It wasn't moving. The group crept towards the creature. It let out a pained whine but otherwise remained still.

"Step back, I'm gonna kill it," Deadpool already had his gun drawn.

Spider-man's sixth sense spiked, "wait!" He shoved Deadpool back just as the alien let out a loud, high pitched shriek. Acting quick, Spidey webbed up the people within spitting range and yanked them back. The alien twisting its body around, acid spraying from its mouth.

_**BANG BANG BANG** _

The creature finally stilled after the third shot. Deadpool holstered his gun. "Everyone okay?" He looked around his team as they nodded. "Good. Time to get to work."

* * *

The rest of the day was just as eventful as before. Spider-man's muscles screamed in protest as he launched himself through the air. He grunted when he caught himself on a web, the sudden change in direction putting more strain on his limbs.

"You good up there?" Deadpool asked over the comms. "Almost hit the ground there, bud."

"I'm fine. Don't take your eyes off the enemy," Spider-man reminded, flipping through the air and taking a sharp turn into a parking garage. The alien following him wasn't able to make such a hard turn and crashed into the concrete walls. It howled as it plummetted to its death. Spider-man sprinted across the garage, jumping out the opening at the other end.

"Electro's down, we need help on 5th," Toomes reported.

"On my way!" Spider-man and Otto responded in unison.

* * *

Spider-man fell to his hands and knees on a rooftop, panting heavily. He had been fighting for nearly twelve hours. His muscles burned. His head swam with sensory overload. No matter how many aliens he took down, more just kept flying in. Spider-man came to the realization that he was going to die fighting. He was going to die fighting alongside his worst enemies. Without ever seeing Tony again. Or Steve. Or any of the other Avengers that had taken him in as one of their own. What about Ned? Or Michelle? They didn't live in New York anymore. He wanted to see them again, so very badly.

But this was where he would die.

He was going to die without telling Wade he loved him.

Spider-man had watched Wade die twice today already. Each time broke Peter a little more than the last. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. The more he thought about Wade's deaths, the more he thought about all the civilians that had been lost. Most people had fled New York after the first day. But there were always those unlucky few. Spider-man had saved as many as he could. Many more had slipped right through his fingertips.

"Breath," Deadpool's hand ghosted over his back. Spider-man flinched. "Breath."

"Now is not the time to have a panic attack, kid," Toomes swooped down, landing a few feet from them.

"Is that what's going on?" Otto asked over the comms. "Sounded like the bug was dying."

"I am dying," Spider-man choked out.

"No, you aren't. You need to breath, Spidey." Deadpool took his hand and placed it against his chest. Spider-man relaxed slightly at the feeling of Wade's chest rising and falling. "Breath with me. In," he took a deep breath, "and out. In...and out...there you go. Keep breathing."

Spider-man eventually calmed down. He was still shaking but he had gotten over his initial panic. "Sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be. We've been fighting these bastards for three days straight," Deadpool reminded him. "We're all a little fucked up."

"Can you still fight?" Toomes asked. Spider-man answered by standing up and dusting off his pants.

Deadpool looked at Spider-man sadly. He didn't want his friend to keep fighting. He wanted to hold Peter tightly in his arms and comfort him. But he couldn't. Not while the invasion was still in full swing. "Don't push yourself," Deadpool murmured.

"Too late," Spider-man jumped off the building.

* * *

Night fell, and Deadpool took the first watch, much to Spider-man's protests. They couldn't go back to the gas station, so they ended up in a hotel. "You need rest. Your healing factor doesn't work as well when you're tired." Deadpool reminded him. They were all worn out, but Spider-man looked like a walking corpse. His costume was covered in soot. Blood seeped from various cuts and burns. Tufts of hair stuck out of the tears in his mask. The left eye piece was long gone.

Spider-man continued pacing the lobby, the constant movement was the only thing that kept him awake, "I'm the leader, I take first watch." 

"I agree with the merc," Kraven spoke.

"I'm taking first watch," Spider-man insisted.

"Not tonight!" Deadpool grabbed Spider-man by the arm and wrestled him to the floor. "Go to sleep or I'll fucking put you to sleep!"

"This is abuse! Abuse!" Peter cried out, flailing in Deadpool's grasp.

"Children," Otto snorted, watching from where he sat on the staircase. Toomes nodded in agreement, an amused smile on his face.

Spider-man suddenly passed out, causing Deadpool to panic, thinking he had killed Spider-man. He sighed in relief when he found Peter's pulse. "Toomes."

"Yes?"

"You're on first watch. I'm going to take care of Spidey's injuries," Deadpool announced, scooping the Avenger into his arms. The other men stepped aside, allowing him to pass by. Deadpool took Spider-man to the first room and locked the door behind him.

"Wade?" Peter's visible eye fluttered open when Deadpool laid him on the bed.

"Right here, Petey pie." Deadpool gently eased the mask off Peter's head. "Go back to sleep."

"Gotta tell you...something..." Peter slurred, lazily pawing at Deadpool's hand. "Something...I forgot...it's important...head hurts."

"I bet it does, let me see if I can find you some ice," Deadpool turned to leave but Peter grabbed his wrist.

"No, wait, gotta tell you something."

Deadpool took a seat on the edge of the bed, "what is it, baby?" He brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Peter's face. He hated the look of defeat on the younger man's face. Peter looked so tired. So broken.

"I..." Peter passed out before he could get the next two words out.

Deadpool kissed Peter on the forehead, "sweet dreams, baby boy. I love you. I love you so much."

* * *

**Saturday**

 

 

Yesterday, Peter Parker was pretty sure he was going to die. That obviously didn't happen. So today had to be the day. The aliens had set the city on fire early in the morning. The sun hadn't yet come up, but the sky was illuminated by the blaze none the less. Tony had said the battle was dying down. That he and Steve were engaging the invaders' leader. That's what they had said. But things were far from over in Queens. Spider-man paused his web slinging on a fire escape, looking out over his city. His city. The city he had sworn to protect, was up in flames. He took a deep breath and charged back into the fray.

"OTTO!" Spider-man screamed. The doctor was moving along the ground, unaware of the crumbling building to his right. Otto looked up just in time to see Spider-man ram into him at full force. Doc Ock was launched across the street, slamming into an overturned bus.

The building fell. Spider-man's horrified scream abruptly cut short.

Otto could do nothing but stare at the mountain of concrete, glass, and metal.

"They did it!" Toomes cried joyfully over the comms. "Those sons of bitches are retreating! Stark and Rogers did it!"

Otto didn't respond, eyes still locked on the rubble that Spider-man's corpse was trapped under. He couldn't wrap his head around why Spider-man had saved him. They were arch enemies. Doc Ock tried to kill the wall crawler every other week. Why would he save him? Anger bubbled up inside of him at the sight of the aliens retreating back into the sky. It wasn't fair. Spider-man shouldn't have lost his life just moments before the battle ended. It wasn't fair. He could hear his teammates cheering over the comms, but he refused to join in.

"Spider-man is dead," He announced, absolutely no emotion in his voice.

The cheering stopped.

"W-what did you just say?" Deadpool's whimpered, then hissed when he didn't get an immediate answer, " _what did you say?_ "

"Spider-man is dead. A building collapsed. He pushed me out of the way. I...I'm sorry."

There was silence for a solid minute.

"Are you sure? Not the first time a building's fallen on him," Toomes commented. "I'm on my way over. Try to dig him out."

Otto nodded, his metal limbs getting to work on moving the rubble. Toomes arrived soon after, his talons moving large chunks of debris. Eventually, they found him. And it wasn't pretty.

Spider-man was lying flat on his face, his arm twisted at an awkward angle. A thick steel rod had impaled his back, missing his spine by mere inches. Blood pooled underneath his torso and head. Upon moving more rubble, they found another rod impaled straight through his thigh.

"PETER!!!" Deadpool screamed, scrambling over the rubble. "Peter!" His trembling hands hovered over Spider-man's body. Otto broke off part of the rod, allowing Deadpool to turn the body over. "Peter...oh god...baby...baby, please..." He set Peter's head in his lap. His visible eye was closed. "No, no, no..."

"Stop...saying my...name...dumbass..." Peter rasped, his voice barely audible.

"Spidey!" Deadpool jolted. "You're alive..."

All of the Sinister Six moved around them, doing what they could to stop the bleeding, or calling for medical help with their communicators.

"SHIELD is on their way, just hang on, Peter," Toomes announced, lowering his hand from the comm in his ear.

Deadpool cradled the broken hero in his arms, sobbing into his neck, "you're alive..." Peter brushed his hand over Wade's cheek, whispering something. "What was that?" Wade sniffed.

"I love you," Peter repeated, only loud enough for Wade to hear. He went limp before Wade could answer. No one could see it, but Peter was smiling behind his mask. He had finally told Wade. Now he could die in peace.

* * *

Deadpool walked down the long, bright, hallway as if in a trance. Doctors and SHIELD agents ducked out of the merc's way, some of them shooting him looks of pity. Some of them tried talking to him, but Deadpool didn't seem to hear them. He just kept walking. Eventually, he arrived in the waiting room. It was a small area, with carpet and comfy chairs. A big window looked out over the clouds. Peter was the only patient on this particular Helicarrier, so the only occupants of the waiting room where the Sinister Six. Deadpool glanced around the room, doing a headcount. All six present, and in various states of exhaustion. They were free men now. They could go home. But they had decided to stay, wanting to make sure Peter was alright. Or "their bug" as Kraven had put it. Peter had saved Otto's life, so most of them felt obligated to hang around.

Toomes was currently at the counter next to the window, making himself a cup of coffee. He still wore his flight suit, but the wings themselves had been discarded against the wall. A metal tentacle snaked its way past him and stole the tiny styrofoam cup Toomes had been filling. The tentacle slid back across the room to where Octavius was lounging. "Lazy fucking..." Toomes grumbled to himself, making a second cup of coffee.

Deadpool drifted further into the room and took a seat. He felt numb. The air around him was like a fog, hazing his vision and chilling him to the bone.

"How is he?" Toomes was sitting next to him now, offering him a cup of coffee. The remaining members of the team looked over at the Avenger.

Deadpool gladly excepted the coffee, pushing his mask up just enough to drink it. "Five broken ribs, broken back, broken arm, impaled in two places, punctured lung, internal bleeding, head trauma." He rattled off all the injuries, the list ingrained in his skull. "He flat lined. For thirty seconds. I counted. They started his heart again. He's out of surgery now." He reported, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could form better sentences. Peter had been in surgery for almost six hours. Deadpool had been hovering outside the door the entire time. His hands shook as he brought the cup up to his lips. "But they said he might not make it through the night."

"Can we see him?" Sandman asked.

Deadpool shook his head. "The nurse will tell us when we can."

Toomes put a hand on Deadpool's shoulder. "He's going to be alright."

"They said he might not-"

"He's going to be alright," Toomes repeated. 

* * *

 

**Sunday**

Everything hurt. Literally everything. At first, Peter thought he was dead, but then he realized that he shouldn't be able to feel pain if he were dead. God, he wished he was dead. It hurt so fucking much. Especially his back. 

"Peter?" A hand stroked his hair. "Don't cry, baby boy. It's gonna be okay. Can you give him anything?" Wade. Wade was with him.

"I'm at the limit for how much morphine I can give a normal human being."

"He's not a normal human being. Give him the damn morphine." Wait, was that...Doc Ock?!

"Y-yes, sir. Right away." 

Relief swept through Peter's bones when something cold pumped through the needle in his arm. He felt himself being pulled back into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Monday**

"Don't ever do anything so stupid ever again. Do you fucking hear me, Peter Parker?" Wade growled. Peter had woken up just two minutes ago, and Wade was already going off on him. 

"I'm sorry," Peter whispered, his voice slightly muffled by the oxygen mask.

"I thought I lost you..." Wade gave Peter's hand a loving squeeze. "You can't just say 'I love you' and then fucking pass out. Dick move, Parker."

Peter laughed weekly. 

"It's not funny, bug boy."

Peter laughed again. The sound was broken, but it was like music to Wade's ears. His expression softened and he leaned over to kiss Peter's forehead. Peter stopped laughing when there was a knock at the door. "You can come in now," Deadpool called. Peter blinked in surprise when the Sinister Six filtered into the room. 

"I'm not wearing a mask," Peter whispered.

"You weren't breathing when the paramedics arrived. They had to take off your mask so they could do their thing. Sorry, babe," Deadpool sighed. Peter shook his head. He was still in an immense amount of pain, and couldn't bring himself to truly care. What's done was done.

"Thank you," Otto spoke first. "For saving me. It was stupid. But thank you."

Peter gave him a thumbs up. Otto nodded, staring at him awkwardly for another minute before leaving the room. The remaining five wished Spidey well, and one by one left the room. Toomes was the last to go.

"My daughter called me this morning. She saw me saving people on TV." Toomes spoke softly, a smile spreading across his face. "I got to talk to my daughter again after ten years. Sucks that it took an alien invasion to bring us back together. I'm going to see her this weekend."

Peter smiled, "that's wonderful, Adrian. I'm happy for you. Tell Liz I said 'hi'."

Toomes nodded. "Well, I hope you feel better soon. Queens is gonna need Spider-man." He waved one last time before slipping out of the room.

"Did you make them do that?" Peter asked. "Not Toomes, the other five. Why were they wishing me well?"

"Guess they care about you," Deadpool shrugged. "Otto just felt really bad and has been wanting to thank you all weekend. I don't know what's up with the others. But I don't think the Sinister Six will be bothering you again anytime soon." He went back to stroking Peter's hair.

"Good," Peter relaxed into Wade's touch.

"Tony said he'd be here soon. He has some stuff he has to take care of with Fury, but he'll be here as soon as he can. Get some rest, I'll wake you up when he gets here." Deadpool said.

"Thank you," Peter closed his eyes. "Wade?"

"Yes, Petey?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been through a lot of drafts. And I mean a lot. This is something I have been working on since the beginning of 2016. I honestly never thought I would get this story finished. Then I saw Spider-man homecoming and rewrote the entire thing again. This time with added Spideypool. So here we are today. I've finally gotten a version of this story that I am actually proud to share.
> 
> Please let me know if you enjoyed it!


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